RGHStory XTras
RIVERVIEW GARDENS
HIGH SCHOOL
A BRIEF HISTORY
BY JANE BYERS
XTras
APPENDIX TO DEDICATION
OBITUARY OF RUSSELL DOHRMANN
(Published on Legacy.com in April 2015)
Russell Charles Dohrmann, 75, who has lived in Boulder for 44 years, passed away April 10, 2015 from metastatic melanoma. Russell was born December 30, 1939 in St. Louis, MO to Russell H. and Florence M. Dohrmann. When in college, Russell met his wife at the Boulder landmark "The Sink." Two years later Russell and Gail were married in Englewood, CO in 1961. They moved to Chicago, IL where Russell took a job as a chemist in the Stockyards. Growing up, Russell became an Eagle Scout and was a member of The Order of the Arrow in the Boy Scouts of America. In high school, he set a state record in the 100 yard hurdles which stood for over 20 years. Russell obtained his B.S. in Chemistry, Physics and Math from the University of Denver in 1961 and his M.S. in Computer Science in 1978 from the University of Colorado. He worked as a systems engineer in computer science and worked at the Computing Center at CU, Ciber, Hughes Aircraft, and Boeing. One of his early projects, prior to the internet, involved computer networking, linking computers from Stanford, CU, and several east coast universities. Russell's varied hobbies and interests included movies, music, travel, food, and photography. He was a true "foodie" and was able to prepare meals better than most restaurants. He loved to travel to locations where he could eat great food and meet famous chefs like Daniel Boulud, Jonathan Waxman, Michael Chiarello and Marcus Samuelsson. His world travel included France, Netherlands, Italy, Morocco, Croatia, Portugal, Spain, Mexico and Cuba, partly for the photography and partly for the food. Photography was his life's passion. He was a member of the Flatirons Photo Club for more than 30 years. Russell loved the National Park system and the outdoors, a primary reason why he moved to Boulder. He exhibited photos around town, and Russell and Gail published two books, "Best Boulder Region Hiking Trails" and "Boulder's Favorite Places" which were local bestsellers but are now out of print. In addition to his kind and gentle heart, Russell's sense of humor, a Dohrmann tradition, had him always trying to make someone smile or laugh. His puns were outrageous. Russell was preceded in death by his parents; he is survived by his wife Gail; children, Paul Dohrmann and Lisa Sinclair; grandchildren, Lucy and Emma Sinclair; siblings, Arlan Dohrmann, Mary Lea Dohrmann and Susan Unger.
OBITUARY OF GAIL RONAN SIMS
(Published April 17, 2009)
(Published April 17, 2009)
By Adam Bernstein, Obituaries Editor
It's not a criticism to say Gayle Ronan Sims, who died last night at age 61, would take four hours to do what most of us could in 10 minutes. She was extremely sympathetic, with a soft and soothing voice that made probing questions seem as gentle as an invitation to have another scoop of sugar in your coffee.
Her job, as the Philadelphia Inquirer's chief obituaries writer, was to summarize the lives of those who rarely were known outside their immediate community. The headline of her last published obituaries -- "Rose Turner, a soup-kitchen stalwart" -- says it all. It would be easy to wrap up that story and move on quickly, operating like Navy Seals who get the mission done and move on to the next place.
To Gayle, each new story seemed something more -- an opportunity to meet a new friend. Gayle lingered on the phone and lingered and lingered, and by the end of her calls, she would often call me up and say how wonderful a family member was and how she and the person were going to meet up for lunch or dinner because they had so much fun talking.
In the last year, her health worsened from a condition that made her lungs feel as if they were being slowly filled with crushed glass. To inhale was painful. To exhale was painful. She continued to work from home, breathing from an oxygen tank attached to a long cord that stretched up two stories of her house. She rarely left her home, except for medical appointments.
Her main connection to the outside world became obituary calls, and she continued to stay on the phone with families long enough to find new angles on entirely predictable obits. Not many of us would have the patience to get the details necessary for this opening paragraph:
John Craig Bell, 67, a beloved neurologist fondly remembered for his thriftiness and the inventive ways he used duct tape to extend the life of items, including his tennis shoes, died Jan. 25 of olivopontocerebellar atrophy, a rare neurological disease, at home in Montgomeryville.
In truth, my favorite Gayle obituaries were those of people who were not beloved or kind or very nice. The best obituaries, like the best of any news story, are those that take unpredictable turns. It was always worth reading Gayle when she came across someone with an unsavory side.
In November, she wrote about John L. Cionci, who died at 85 and whom she called "a once-successful osteopath who turned his life around after he was jailed in 1984 for his role in a phony auto-accident insurance scam."
The best element of the story was in the next paragraph, where she got the man's daughter to say:
"Prison made my father a better man. Before that, he was a jerk - materialistic, greedy, a thief, always drove a brand-new Lincoln - he was really into status. Jail humbled him, and he then devoted his life to helping the underprivileged. He found God through the experience."
Any idea how hard it is to get a family member to speak truth like that? People always want to remember the best of a life, never wanting inconvenient details to appear in an obit, which is after all likely to be for the community the final way someone will be remembered.
Gayle never wanted her own obit written. She was private. She did not like to discuss her past, from her upbringing in Missouri and an early marriage that eventually ended in divorce to her raising two children as a single mom. She worked briefly for a politician before entering journalism.
She said she had a tense relationship with her family in Missouri and tried to reinvent herself. That's all I can say, because that's all she ever told me. I met her several years ago at an obituary writers' workshop in New Mexico -- actually a great event that drew first-rate obituary writers from as far away as England and Japan.
We liked each other instantly and she advised me constantly on ways to better myself, which usually centered on some aspect of my personal life. She had a tendency to crusade on the boyfriend/girlfriend issue, and the targets of her unsolicited advice either found her caring and nurturing or entirely inappropriate.
She was complicated and wonderful and, in her final year, scared. Doctors told her that a double-lung transplant was the only potential solution to her condition. She went through a period of denial. She questioned the value of living with new lungs that would require an extensive and painful recovery, with no guarantee that she would be able "to climb a mountain someday." That was her goal.
She tried some weird acupuncture cure that relieved her pain temporarily. She eventually got serious about what she needed to do: start the regimen necessary for a double lung transplant and get her affairs in order.
The last time I spoke to her, she called at 5 a.m. about a month ago to the day. Finally the doctors found a pair of lungs for her. My wife and I reassured her as best we could, which is to say not nearly enough.
She never left the hospital's ICU as complications ensued from the surgery. Her daughter and son took care of her. They brought in music she liked and pasted near her hospital bed a photo montage of their lives together. I saw her last weekend, but she was heavily sedated and never was aware of the visit. Can't decide if the visit was for her or me, but it wasn't Gayle I saw because the Gayle I saw was quiet and unopinionated.
Sort of thinking about Gayle's legacy now, and here's what crosses my mind. Unless one is lucky enough to realize just how fun and compelling obits can be, to see their many styles and forms from London to New York to Washington, obituary writing is not a job most journalists crave or most readers care about. But in truth it's no less important than the people who chronicle the incremental ephemera that fill most of a newspaper's pages. Few obit writers want to spend their days chasing down information that they know will not make it into an obit.
An obituary is a life, and Gayle wrote thousands of them, the equivalent of a small city. Her patience, her eccentricities, her devotion to community made her impact enormous.
An obituary is a life, and Gayle wrote thousands of them, the equivalent of a small city. Her patience, her eccentricities, her devotion to community made her impact enormous.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
Jane Byers: First Grade at Glasgow Elementary School
I am indebted to the following persons for their help in making A Brief History a reality.
Jane Byers
Al Schultz: Senior Picture
Al Schultz: As I was researching the various Coburg subdivisions in the City of Bellefontaine Neighbors and the Village of Riverview, I happened upon a park named Brad L. Schultz, Jr. Memorial Park located on Toelle Lane near Chambers Road. Something clicked and I contacted Al Schultz to inquire if he might be related to Brad Schultz. In fact, Brad was Al’s nephew. Through a serious of email exchanges, Al related to me the details of Brad’s untimely death, to this day a devastating loss for the Schultz family. Thanks so much Al for telling me about Brad. Al’s family moved to Castle Point in 1959, when Al began third grade at Danforth Elementary. He and his wife now live in Michigan, where they keep up with 11 of their 26 grandchildren, plus two of their great grandsons.
Arlan Dohrmann: RGHS Class of 1962
Arlan Dohrmann: Arlan (RGHS 1962) is my brother-in-law. I have known him since 1970—the year he met and married my sister, Cheryl (RGHS 1967). I consider him a good friend and an integral part of our family. He has shared with me stories of his early school years, as well as his high school years at RGHS. Four years after graduating in 1962, he earned a B.A. in Political Science from Mizzou. He and I have talked at length about his ensuing four years in the Army from 1966-1970. He served in Vietnam as an officer and Vietnamese language specialist and saw combat during his tour. I’m glad he made it home. I am grateful for his perspective growing up in the Riverview Gardens School District.
Barb Black Butts: Senior Picture
Barb Black Butts: Barb was a part of our small coterie of girls who celebrated our graduation from RGHS with a posh dinner at Tony’s in Downtown St. Louis on June 5, 1969. It was a maaahvelous evening! Barb grew up in the Village of Riverview, attending Riverview Elementary. She shared stories about her dad, who also attended Riverview Elementary and was featured in RIVUGA32.
Betsy Peckron Guinn: Senior Picture
Betsy Peckron Guinn: Betsy’s family history in the area of the Riverview Gardens School District stretches all the way back to the 1830s, nearly two centuries ago. She spent a couple of long phone calls with me sharing many things she knew of her family’s history in the area, relating personal stories about her grandparents, parents and other family members and friends. It’s really special that she has shared her personal memories about her family. I consider her gesture generous and genuine. Thanks, Betsy! And thanks for the sweet photograph of your adorable grandparents, Ernest and Cora Boyd. You have done Gibson Elementary proud!
Carol Fronckewicz Jones: RGHS Class of 1968
Carol Fronckewicz Jones: When Carol (RGHS 1968) told me that the Riverview Gardens School District boundary line cut right through her backyard, I thought that such a phenomenal fact must be ripe for a story! How could it not be? I have enjoyed getting to know Carol over the last few years and thank her for her photos and input concerning 239 Gage and Northland Hills. It’s always comforting to have an upperclassman (or woman) around. Thanks, Carol! By the way, Carol attended Moline Elementary after moving to Northland Hills from Walnut Park in the City of St. Louis.
Cheryl Niebur Lapinski: First Grade at Gibson ElementarySchool
Cheryl Niebur Lapinski: Cheryl (Betsy’s good pal at Gibson/Danforth Elementary) gave me her sister Marsha’s (RGHS 1962) yearbooks from 1959, 1960, 1961 and 1962 after Marsha passed away in 2017. In the Spring of 2018, my Mom and I had a ball pouring over the contents of those yearbooks. Looking at them motivated me to finally act on my itch to write about the High School campus on Shepley Drive, and then things began to mushroom! Thanks to Cheryl for being my trusty sounding board during this whole process, including all the starts and stops. Plus, we took off on the Byers-Niebur All District Tour in October 1921 and .... SHAZAM! What fun! I am thankful for Cheryl's steadfast support!
Dan Green: Senior Picture
Dan Green: When we were young school kids moving from elementary school to junior high school or from junior high to high school, there always seemed to be a buzz created around a few kids even before school started and we met our new classmates. One of those kids at East Jr. High was Danny Green! Yes, I have always called him “Danny Green.” I try, but I just can’t get used to “Dan." Anyway, in my corner of the world, there was lots of buzz about that cute boy from Danforth Elementary, Danny Green, at the start of seventh grade. At RGHS, Dan was our Class President all three years. It’s been fun through the years to keep in touch and exchange emails with Danny. We have also had a good time working together on Class of 1969 reunions. Golf is one of his loves and, lucky for us, he shared some priceless info about working for the golf pro (a woman) at Northland Golf Club when we were school chums. You can read about it in Part 2, Episode 5Cat of A Brief History.
Dan Johanningmeier: Senior Picture
Dan Johanningmeier: I can always count on Dan Johanningmeier. Since 2008, he has been a fount of knowledge, always assisting with details about wanted and departed classmates and his esteemed Moline Elementary. When I discovered there had been a major fire at Moline Elementary in 1956, who did I call for the scoop? Danny J!!! We also had a discussion about the FEDS and dirigibles and bootleg whiskey. Can it get any more fun than that? Not likely!
Dave Hartley: Air Force Photographer. Dave's camera is a Hasselblad, an iconic camera used by US astronauts when they went to the moon.
Dave Hartley: I can’t say enough about Dave Hartley (also a Moline Elementary alum) and his contribution to this project. He has scanned hundreds of yearbook pictures. On his own initiative, he created YouTube Slide Shows of RIVUGA32 and RIVUGA33 — a complete surprise to me. What a treasure. Dave converted the DeBeer Family Collection slides to photographs and scanned scads of miscellaneous photos from all corners of the Riverview Gardens School District. Plus, we have worked seamlessly as a team, devising a process to get me the pictures I needed and wanted for the RamSite. His incredible work has provided the visual story for A Brief History, and I have no doubt that I could have tackled this project satisfactorily without the mountain of images he has created. Finally, Dave has shared his story about growing up in Baden Terrace. Thank you, Dave!
David Manning: Ninth Grade at East Jr. High
David Manning: Lou Manning (RGHS 1939 and David’s Dad) appeared in RIVUGA32. David shared stories about his Dad and provided several photographs, three of which are featured in A Brief History: the 1939 graduating class; the 1936 basketball team; and a photograph of his dad wearing his “R” sweater! David also provided a huge collection of family photographs that track his family's history on Toelle Lane in the early and mid-20th century. These photographs pay extra dividends in A Brief History and The Magical History Tour. I am so appreciative. Plus, I can’t let this moment pass without mentioning that David was my second grade boyfriend at Glasgow Elementary!
Debbie Sanders Oswald: Senior Picture
Debbie Sanders Oswald: Debbie attended Moline Elementary and provided her sixth grade class picture for the 6th Graders page of the RamSite. She also was kind enough to share her memories of growing up in Northland Hills and to inform me of all of our classmates that lived in her narrow enclave on the edge of the Riverview Gardens School District. I am super appreciative of her contribution!
Denise Schewe Bourg: Senior Picture
Denise Schewe Bourg: Larry Schewe (RGHS 1939 and Denise's Dad) also appears in RIVUGA32 and was a classmate of Lou Manning. Denise and I had a good time exchanging a few emails in which Denise shared her Dad’s story. Thanks so much, Denise! By the way, Denise was a Gibson/Danforth Elementary stalwart.
Don Obergoenner: Senior Picture
Don Obergoenner: When I contacted Don to ask him about his role in building our Senior Homecoming Float, we were off to the races! Amongst numerous phone calls, texts and emails, he let me quiz him over and over about all the details. There was so much I didn’t know. His recall was fantastic. I hope you enjoy reading the story as much as I enjoyed writing it. Thanks to Don for all the fun anecdotes related to building the Little Brown Jug winner! Don’s family moved into the District in 1964, when he enrolled at East Jr. High just around the corner from his home in the Modde Manor subdivision off of Bellefontaine Road.
Dorothy Fey Banocy: Senior Picture
Dorothy Fey Banocy: I have known Dorothy since we entered East Jr. High at age 12, and we have been good friends for many years. In addition, I have been close neighbors with her and John Banocy since 1999. We help each other out from time to time! Having known Dorothy for so long and having spent beaucoup time with her, I believe I have learned much about her and her family through osmosis. Dorothy pops up a little here, a little there, and a little everywhere in A Brief History. Dorothy is a Riverview Elementary graduate. Thanks for the perspective and all the inside news, girlfriend!
Frank Haase: Senior Picture
Frank Haase: Frank is one of my classmates acknowledged on this page who I didn’t know in High School but with whom I have become friends over the last number of years. A Catholic School Boy, Frank ended up attending RGHS rather than Rosary High due to extenuating circumstances. He lived in Nor-Lakes Towne Houses and has related stories that offer a different viewpoint and perspective and peel off another layer of growing up in the Riverview Gardens School District. I appreciate his candor and generosity!
Jimmy Paulsen: RGHS Class of 1973
Jimmy Paulsen: Jimmy’s Dad was Donald Paulsen, who was instrumental in starting the football program and building a powerhouse wrestling program at Riverview Gardens High School. Jimmy (RGHS 1973) generously loaned me his Dad’s RGHS yearbooks: 1942, 1954, 1961, 1963 and 1965, plus a scrapbook that his dad compiled while coaching at Riverview, primarily concentrating on Riverview wrestling. We also talked about his experiences as a kid when his Dad coached wrestling at Riverview. Jimmy is an all-around nice guy who road bicycles all around Glasgow Village with my little sis, Peggy (RGHS 1973), when they were kids! Jimmy and Peggy became friends at Glasgow Elementary.
Joe Paulsen: Sixth Grade at Glasgow Elementary School
Joe Paulsen: When I was on the hunt for some of the yearbooks from the 1950s, I contacted Joe (we go all the way back to Glasgow Elementary), hoping he might have some of Joseph Paulsen’s (his Dad) yearbooks from those years. Joe didn’t have any yearbooks in his possession, but he wasted no time contacting his siblings and cousins to inquire if they might. Voila! He put me in touch with Jimmy and the rest is history. Joe also filled me in on his memories of his first year living in Glasgow Village. Thanks, Joe!
Joe Strasser: Senior Picture
Joe Strasser: Joe always comes through when I ask him for help. He is one of my favorites! Providing me with photos and information regarding growing up in Castle Point, as well as background particulars pertaining to his elementary school years, has been invaluable. Joe attended Meadows Elementary from Kindergarten to second grade; he and several other Castle Point kids transferred to Danforth Elementary to complete third through sixth grades. Thanks for your help, Joe!
Kathy Kibler Gaillard: Senior Picture
Kathy Kibler Gaillard: Kathy's Dad, Jack Kibler (RGHS 1948), and Mom, Joan Sippy (RGHS 1949), married the summer of 1949 after Joan graduated from RGHS. Kathy was born in 1951, grew up in the Village of Riverview and attended Riverview Elementary. Kathy has loaned me her Mom's 1948, 1949 and 1950 yearbooks for my use in writing A Brief History. Thanks, Kathy!
Kelley Schnettgoeke - Daughter of Cornell Bowen, Class of 1969 Sponsor
Kelley Schnettgoeke: Kelley is the daughter of the late Cornell Bowen, one of our Senior Class Sponsors. We thank her for entrusting to our care and use his 1963, 1964, 1965 and 1966 yearbooks.
Ken DeBeer: First Grade at Glasgow Elementary School
Ken DeBeer: In 2018, Ken (another Glasgow Elementary kid) brought me slides and photographs of RGHS from the 1950s and 1960s, taken and preserved by his Dad, Wayne DeBeer, the principal of Riverview Gardens High School for 8 years. Ken delivered a real treasure trove, which included slides and photographs of the newly-constructed campus on Shepley Drive. He gave me permission to send the slides and photos to Dave Hartley in California so that Dave could convert, scan and perfect them. We are so lucky to have these pictures! When I realized what we actually had, I think my motivation really took off. Thank you, Ken!
LaRenda Hutt and Jane Byers on the campus of Riverview Gardens High School.
LaRenda Hutt: LaRenda Hutt is nothing short of a Gem with a capital “G.” When I called the High School in the summer of 2021 and asked about looking through old yearbooks, she was truly accommodating. On my first visit, she set me up in the library with the 1949, 1950, 1951, 1952, 1953 and 1958 yearbooks. On another visit, she made arrangements for me to look at a couple of incredible poster-board-size scrapbooks that contained every conceivable newspaper clipping covering School District events and news from 1957 to 1964. It was a real smorgasbord. LaRenda also made arrangements for me to visit the Central Office and look at Official School Board Minutes from the 1920s. Principal Traci Nave and the main office and library staff also were friendly and helpful. LaRenda, thanks for all of your help and for making me feel welcomed.
Marilyn Varney Bader: Harvest Queen Photograph (1968)
Marilyn Varney Bader: In high school, Marilyn compiled an amazing scrapbook and has been kind enough to loan it to me to use as I write A Brief History. Replete with photographs not published in our yearbooks and a treasure trove of memorabilia, the scrapbook has served as a wonderful resource. It's a gift that keeps on giving. Thanks, Marilyn! A Glasgow Village kid, Marilyn came to East Jr. High in 9th grade after finishing 8th grade at St. Pius X.
Mike Cook: Senior Picture
Mike Cook: Mike moved to Glasgow Village in 1966 from South St. Louis, where he attended McKinley High School. His is one of a few stories of classmates who transitioned to RGHS from a school miles away and had to make their way through the halls of a new, unfamiliar school. Mike viewed his move as distinctly positive and gladly related his experiences, which I have integrated into A Brief History. Thanks, Mike!
Mike Hunter Senior Picture
Mike Hunter: In conversations with Mike at our Class of 1969 Meet and Greet gatherings through the years, I became somewhat familiar with Mike’s career and a particular chain of events that seemed to have impacted that career. With his assent, I have related that story in The Magical History Tour and thank Mike for his input. Mike was a grade school kid at Thomas Elementary. Thanks Mike!
Mike McQuire: Senior Picture
Mike McGuire: Through lots of chitchat over the years, I have gathered miscellaneous tidbits of info from Mike about growing up in Bissell Hills and have woven some of his stories into A Brief History. Mike has lived with his wife, Cynthia Morton (my Mom’s maiden name) in Oakland, California for many years, but he never fails to check in by email or phone a couple of times a year to inquire about my well being, as well as that of Cheryl Niebur, with whom he attended Gibson/Danforth Elementary. Thanks, Mike!
Mike (Clint) Walters: RGHS Class of 1972
Mike (Clete) Walters: Along with his brother, Wes, Mike (RGHS 1972) loaned me copies of all six volumes of the Valley Winds Report and even spent some time visiting with me to discuss various aspects of the Valley Winds Report, including the code names therein devised by the authors. Mike attended Highland Elementary in Glasgow Village. See References and Sources at the end of this RGHS History XTras page for a detailed description of the Valley Winds Report. Thanks for your help, Mike!
Nancy Jackson Wright: Fifth Grade at Glasgow Elementary School
Nancy Jackson Wright: I was having fits trying to find the 1955 and 1956 yearbooks. After a string of phone calls around town, I ended up speaking with a very resourceful man at the Missouri History Museum, who suggested that I check out eBay, so I did. I couldn’t believe it—somebody was actually selling both 1955 and 1956. Luck had struck again! Except……I have never bought or sold anything on eBay. What to do???? Call the eBay Guru Extraordinaire: Nancy Jackson Wright. In no time flat, she had negotiated a price and closed the deal. Plus, she also secured a 1946 yearbook for me! Making it extremely easy on me, she took delivery of all three yearbooks and then delivered them to me, in person, together with a container of homemade fudge. This is the kind of magic that happens when you have a friend you’ve been running around with since age four! Of course, we were Glasgow Elementary classmates, too! Thanks, Nancy, for coming to the rescue!
Pat Lingenfelter Sanders: Senior Picture
Pat Lingenfelter Sanders: Pat lived in Hathaway Hills, one of the first subdivisions to be constructed in the School District in the early 1950s. She provided me a written account of her memories growing up at 1000 Hopedale. She also provided me with some great pictures of her neighborhood. Pat attended Our Lady of Good Council from Kindergarten through fifth grade and then Danforth Elementary for sixth grade, Central Jr. High and RGHS, where she began dating her late husband, Jim Sanders (RGHS 1967-RIP). She and I have become friends over the last few years, and I am so pleased that her story has become part of our story! Thanks, Pat.
Patty Geller-Boudria: Kindergarten at Glasgow Elementary School
Patty Geller-Boudria: Early on, Patty coordinated the loan and return of the late Cornell Bowen’s 1963, 1964, 1965 and 1966 yearbooks from and to his daughter, Kelley Schnettgoeke. Patty has also lent a hand with regard to small details and favors along the way. With Nancy Jackson, we made a trio growing up in Glasgow Village on Caithness Road. The tears flowed when Patty moved away to Hathaway Manor after fifth grade. Glasgow Elementary’s loss was Thomas Elementary’s gain! You can read about Patty's move to Hathaway Manor in The Magical History Tour. Thanks for your help, Patty!
Russell, Gail, Lisa and Paul Dohrmann: Russell-RGHS Class of 1957
Paul and Gail Dohrmann: Many thanks to Paul and Gail for sending me Russell’s 1957 yearbook (in pristine condition). I appreciate being able to hold on to it for awhile. Paul also texted me pictures of some of Russell’s track medals from his days at Riverview. It’s been fun talking with Paul on the phone and I look forward to seeing Paul and Gail when and if I ever make it back to Denver!
Sandy Heise Heuckrouth: Senior Picture
Sandy Heise Heuckroth: Wow! Sandy is a walking encyclopedia. The history of her family’s ties to the land on Toelle Lane and its impact on Riverview Gardens High School can’t be overstated. Her detailed narrative, knowledge and observations were invaluable in learning about the history of the District and RGHS and helped set me on a course to chronicle what I hope is an engaging account of that history. Plus, Sandy contacted me at just the right moment. I had no idea I was about to strike gold! Beginning in fourth grade, Sandy attended Riverview Elementary with Barb Black, Dorothy Fey, Kathy Kibler and her good pal, John Beaury. I am impressed by and thankful for Sandy’s encyclopedic mind!
Sherry Sieving: RGHS Class of 1960
Sherri Sieving: Sherri (RGHS 1960) has been a Byers family friend the past 38 years or so, having joined in many Thanksgiving and Christmas family celebrations with her sister Jann. Thanks to Sherri for sharing her early childhood memories of attending school in the District. These days she is a decades-long resident of Pittsburgh and an avid Steelers fan!
Tom Youngerman: Senior Picture
Tom Youngerman: Tom moved into the District from South St. Louis in the Fall of 1962 and enrolled in St. Sebastian Catholic School on Chambers, where he became fast friends with Chris Domitrovich, Gary Flure and Carl Triola. He lived on Cavalier Court in Atwater Terrace just west of New Halls Ferry and has shared some of his boyhood experiences growing up in the area and adjusting to public school life when he enrolled at Central Jr. High in ninth grade. Thanks Tom—for your entertaining yarns, not to mention some interesting (and inside) stories about playing football at RGHS!
Wes Walters: Sixth Grade at Glasgow Elementary School
Wes Walters: Wes (a Highland Elementary and Glasgow Elementary kid) alerted me to the fact that there were yearbooks in storage at the High School that might be helpful if I were going to write a history of RGHS. Having taught at Central Junior High and the High School for many years, he suggested other avenues that I might pursue. As it happened, he was in possession of a copy of the Valley Winds Report, given that his dad had served on the District School Board for three decades. The Valley Winds Report became a gold mine for me, a source of valuable information in mining RGHS history. I can’t thank Wes enough for loaning me this immensely useful resource. See References and Sources at the end of this RGHS History XTras page for a detailed description of the Valley Winds Report. Thank you Mr. Walters!
REFERENCES AND SOURCES
BUZZ BOOK, Riverview Gardens Senior High School, 1967-1968. The Buzz Book from 1967-1968 (our Junior year) has proved to be a highly prized resource. It contains the names, addresses and phone numbers of all members of the RGHS student body for that school year and is organized by class and gender: Senior Girls; Senior Boys; Junior Girls; Junior Boys; Sophomore Girls; Sophomore Boys. I used the Buzz Book to identify where the members of the Class of 1969 lived in connection with The Magical History Tour--Episodes 5ACE, 5BOT, 5CAT and 5DOT of Part 2 of A Brief History. It was an assiduous process matching classmates with the neighborhoods in which they lived, via a common denominator--street names!
Publication of the Buzz Book was a traditional RGHS project for the Junior Class. I remember typing entries after school in Mr. Randell's typing classroom in Building 9. The entries were typed from individual index cards for each student. Mr. Scholle's office provided the index cards. I can't remember how many of us worked on the Buzz Book but I believe it was a small group. Never could I have imagined in the Fall of 1967 what a fabulous resource this Buzz Book would become 50-plus years on! I can attest to finding a ton of typos in the Buzz Book while writing The Magical History Tour but none so bad that I couldn't figure it out! As to whose Buzz Book I have been using, I am not quite sure. I think Mary Alwes or Jill Maret Ferguson may have given it to me years ago in connection with our 40-Year Reunion. In any event, I am grateful to have it in my possession!
Hamilton, Esley, and Webb, Mary, Historic Building Survey: Schools Built Before 1941 in Saint Louis County (1991).
Missouri Constitution, 1820; Office of the Secretary of State, Record Group 5; Missouri State Archives, Jefferson City.
Missouri Constitution, 1865; Office of the Secretary of State, Record Group 5; Missouri State Archives, Jefferson City.
Missouri Constitution, 1875; Office of the Secretary of State, Record Group 5: Missouri State Archives, Jefferson City.
Mulkeen, Jean A., "What Men Should Know About Women--When It Comes To Teaching," Golf Magazine (August, 1964), p.36.
newspapers.com
old-doors.info: Pease Woodwork Company Information
Prunty, John J., Smith, Louis M., and Dwyer, David C., Innovation and Change in American Education, Kensington Revisited: A Fifteen Year Follow-Up of An Innovative Elementary School and Its Faculty; Volume III-Community and School: Patterns of Development and Annals of Change (January, 1983) (referred to as Valley Winds Report in A Brief History).
A Note on the Valley Winds Report: The Valley Winds Report (six volumes) was published in January, 1983. The authors carefully studied Valley Winds Elementary School (later renamed Koch) in its first year, 1964, and then returned 15 years later to make another set of observations. I focused on Volume III, a 400-page chronological narrative of community development within the area that became the Riverview Gardens School District and the community’s relationship with the School District. The first half of Volume III touches on prehistoric periods, territorial changes brought about by Spain, France and England, early settlement of the area, the impact of slavery, the resettlement of native inhabitants, the Daniel Bissell family, the surrounding areas of Ferguson, Jennings and Florissant, the general development of public schools following the Civil War through the early 20th Century, and the first wave of suburbanization in the early 20th Century. The latter half of Volume III tracks land use, industrial development, residential development and growth, population and school enrollment changes, the growth and reorganization of the Riverview Gardens School District and the related construction of schools during the first eight decades of the 20th Century.
One of the more interesting aspects of reading the Valley Winds Report was the authors’ use of code names throughout to identify everything and everyone — among them, people, places, streets, institutions, schools, neighborhoods, companies, cities, counties and rivers. For instance, Riverview Gardens School District is Milford School District, Valley Winds Elementary is Kensington Elementary, Meadows Elementary is Field Elementary, Shepley Road is Teasdale Road, Moline Acres is Marquette Heights, Dellwood is Camdenton, E.M. Lemasters is Walter McBride, New Halls Ferry is Richmond, Emerson Electric is Dynamic Electric, and Science Hill School is Spiral Hill School. Further, the authors flipped the physical orientation of all locations in the area. East is west and west is east, north is south and south is north, and so forth. On top of these changes, the authors don’t provide a key. I was on my own to figure out real names in the narrative and actual locations on the maps. It helped to have an intimate knowledge of the area and many of the actual names. It was an enjoyable challenge, a game where I competed against myself to figure out what I knew or could discover. At times, I had to resort to my own tricks to reach a eureka moment. In the end, I developed a key as I went along and referred to the key repeatedly until I got the hang of things!
Revised Statutes of the State of Missouri, 1909; Chapter 106 (Schools) (books.google.com).
Revised Statutes of the State of Missouri, 1919; Chapter 102 (Schools) (books.google.com)
State Historical Society of Missouri (shsmo.org), Digital Collections, Plat Maps of Missouri, 1893, St. Louis, Page 39-46N 7E.
Welty, Ruth, "Place Names of St. Louis and Jefferson County" M.A Thesis, University of Missouri-Columbia (1939); State Historical Society of Missouri (shsmo.org), Manuscript Collection.
Wesley, Doris A., Morris, Ann, and Price, Wiley, Lift Every Voice and Sing: St. Louis African Americans in the Twentieth Century (November, 1999)(referred to as Wesley: Lift Every Voice and Sing in A Brief History).
Williams, Henry Sullivan, "The Development of the Negro Public School System in Missouri," The Journal of Negro History, Vol. 5, No. 2 (April 1920), pp. 137-165.
Wright, John A., Discovering African American St. Louis: A Guide to Historic Sites (2002).
Wright, John A., St. Louis: Disappearing Black Communities (2004)(referred to as Wright: Disappearing Black Communities in A Brief History).